


Under the Same Moon

by RainCoveredLens



Series: Running with Wolves [1]
Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Dirk would definitely love the werewolf stuff, Hiding stuff, I don't know how to tag this, It Just Popped in My Head, M/M, Todd's being ridiculous, Werewolf Todd, Werewolf!Todd, and now here we are, lying, not talking about their issues, the werewolf au that no one told me to write, there's fluff and embarrassing stuff later, this is probably a series, we'll see how the first one goes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 01:46:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainCoveredLens/pseuds/RainCoveredLens
Summary: "Werewolves?"To say Dirk sounded incredulous was an understatement. His eyes had narrowed, and he had leaned back slightly from his desk, arms crossed loosely over his chest. Todd sighed, he knew this was going to be difficult."Yes, werewolves," Todd stated, carefully watching as Dirk thought through the word."Like," Dirk paused, looking around the office at nothing in particular, "you mean, once a month, a person turns into a half human half wolf and goes out for a good howl. Werewolves?""Yes, werewolves," Todd said, he was quickly beginning to regret this.





	1. The Secret Life of Todd Brotzman

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note! So this takes place after the events of season two and assumes that those events take place in around January/February of 2017. Chapters 1 and 2, as well as the additional chapter at the end, will all take place within 2017.

**June, 2 Months After**

"Werewolves?"

To say Dirk sounded incredulous was an understatement. His eyes had narrowed, and he had leaned back slightly from his desk, arms crossed loosely over his chest. Todd sighed, he knew this was going to be difficult.

"Yes, werewolves," Todd stated, carefully watching as Dirk thought through the word.

"Like," Dirk paused, looking around the office at nothing in particular, "you mean, once a month, a person turns into a half human half wolf and goes out for a good howl. Werewolves?"

"Yes, werewolves," Todd said, he was quickly beginning to regret this. He had waited for Farah to leave, knowing that Dirk would be more accepting of a strange supernatural type topic and sure, he told Dirk everything, he was his best friend, but this had been something Todd had held tight to his chest. He hadn't even gotten it all out yet, and he was having second thoughts.

"Well, I guess, anything is possible. I mean, to assume that I – whatever I am – that I am the only special type of thing out in the universe would be terribly vain of me. So, yes, I guess werewolves could be a real thing. Why do you bring it up?" Dirk gasped loudly, a smile spreading across his face, leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on his desk. "Did you see one once? When you were little at camp or something like that?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, kinda." Todd stumbled over his words. The more he thought about it, the more Todd wasn't sure he could do it. Talking to Dirk about this had been a bad idea; Todd wasn't ready to have this talk. He had to get out of this conversation.

"Yeah, when I was younger," Todd stated, clearing his throat. "Swear to god. I saw one with my own eyes."

_Liar_. A little knot formed in his stomach. Todd looked down at his desk trying to find something to do. Unfortunately, he had already finished all his paperwork for the day and was alone for a moment with his thoughts. He was lying to Dirk, the thing he was trying to be better at, and he was failing.

"That's amazing, Todd! We'll have to see if we can snag a case with werewolves. Wouldn't that be amazing? A real proper supernatural case!" Dirk looked like a kid in a candy store as he spun around once in his chair.

"Dirk, we've fought witches and mages and traveled in time. Don't those cases count?" Todd asked, laughing slightly.

"Well, yes of course, but werewolves! That's a whole other level! That would just be fantastic!" Dirk smiled across the office space at Todd, giving Todd an unusual warmth in the center of his chest. He pushed the feeling aside and quickly changed the subject before Dirk could ask him more questions. Todd would tell him another time. He would.

* * *

**August, 4 Months After**  

Todd was balancing on the ledge of a building. How in the hell had he managed to get to this point? More importantly, where was Dirk? He looked from side to side and spotted a window a little way along the ledge. If Todd could make it to the window, perhaps he could make it inside and see if he could join back up with Dirk. He began to shuffle forward when his phone pinged.

_What was that sound?_ He thought to himself as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The screen illuminated with a prescheduled reminder.

'Dentist Appointment, Tomorrow.'

Todd groaned, resting his head back against the side of the building. He still wasn't quite used to his new schedule, and it always seemed to sneak up on him. Shoving his phone back into his pocket, he glanced around and then down. He was only about 30 feet off the ground, and there was a large pine tree about 25 feet out in front of him. Todd could feel the hair on his arms stand up, he could smell the grass that had been mowed recently, and he knew that he could make it to the tree. Pushing himself as close to the building as possible, he crouched slightly and readied to launch himself forward.

In the last couple months, he had found that his strength had increased along with his other senses and he had been testing his limits in regards to hand strength and jumping ability. He knew that he could make it to the tree, it was no farther than the two roofs from the week before.

As he pushed off, he heard the window he had been inching towards open and a familiar voice called his name. The slight distraction caused Todd's step to falter, sending him down as opposed to out like he had been planning.

_Oh shit!_ He had time to think as he fell the distance to the ground, but to his total amazement, he landed in a crouch, only scuffing his knees slightly.

"Well, that's new." He mumbled to himself, quickly taking stock of himself, ensuring that he hadn't broken anything, the voice from the window forgotten.

"Todd! Todd! Are you okay?" And there was Dirk, his voice coming from above Todd's head. Todd cursed to himself as he thought quickly, trying to come up with some explanation. What he went with was a loud scream and pitching himself on to his side, grabbing at his leg.

The no lying plan was going great.

"I'm coming!" Todd heard the window slam shut, and he figured he had about two minutes to figure out if he was going to come clean or continue with the charade.

Two minutes later when Dirk rounded the corner of the building, he found Todd leaning against the wall, gently rubbing his entirely unhurt ankle.

"Todd! Oh my god, are you alright? How are you not more broken? What happened? It looked like you fell!" Dirk raced forward, his voice cracking as he tried to determine how panicked he needed to be. Dirk reached out to Todd, but stopped himself short, diverting his hand to Todd's shoulder instead of his ankle where it had been headed. Todd frowned slightly but brushed it off.

"It's all good, sorry to have spooked you. I think I just tweaked my ankle a bit." He said, his voice coming out slightly higher than usual.

_The lies continue_ , he thought to himself as he gingerly placed weight on his foot. Dirk narrowed his eyes, glancing down at Todd's ankle and then back up, but threw Todd's arm over his shoulder and helped him limp back the way he had come.

"Well, I'm just glad it wasn't more serious," Dirk said, a smile cracking his lips. Todd felt his insides turn again, a warmth rising in his chest. He pushed it back down, assuming that guilt was probably to blame.

"Are you secretly an acrobat and just didn't think to mention it?" Dirk was being playful, but Todd broke a little inside.

"Just lucky I guess," Todd mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "Your luck must be rubbing off on me." Dirk chuckled as they made their way back to the car.

"Well, while you were trapped on that ledge, I found everything we need to connect the country club to the missing dolphin and the unicycle." Dirk was grinning as he pulled the car keys from his pocket.

"That's fantastic, Dirk." The enthusiasm wasn't there, but Dirk hadn't seemed to notice. Dirk smiled again as he opened the passenger side door for Todd, waiting for him to get all the way in before closing the door and jogging around to the other side.

"All in a day's work. Wait till Farah hears about how you didn't die! She's going to be so amazed." Todd nodded in agreement, his mind electing to shut down slightly as Dirk climbed into the driver's seat and turned them homewards.

Todd wondered if there would be a point where he would feel comfortable just telling Dirk, but now wasn't the time.

* * *

**September, 5 Months After**

Todd did not have time for this.

He had three hours before he had to be back to the office, three more hours before he had to spend another night alone. Another night of lying about why he needed to go home early instead of going out to the bar with Dirk and Farah.

The man they had chased into the alley, the man Dirk had determined had killed a wealthy local businessman, was currently pinning Todd and Dirk behind a dumpster with a gun. Farah was supposed to be on her way, but it looked like she had been held up. The sound of gunfire stopped for a moment, and the man started shouting at them.

"Let me go, assholes! I'll shoot you if you don't leave me the hell alone!" Todd hadn't realized that the man had moved slightly closer. He crouched down next to Dirk and looked under the dumpster. Todd was just able to see the man's shoes, the shoes that were moving slowly towards their hiding spot.

"Shit." Todd hissed, sitting back up. Dirk was glancing towards the man and not looking at Todd when Todd felt a heat rise in his system, and a burning sensation began in his hands. He looked down and noticed a soft blue glow. He snapped his eyes shut, slamming his head into the side of the dumpster.

"Shit!" Todd hissed again.

"We can't do that!" Dirk shouted at the man. "You killed Mr. Clarington. You have to go to the police. We can't let you get away!"

Todd still had his eyes closed, trying to take calming breaths, so he didn't notice Farah poking her head around the corner of the building at the end of the alley.

"I killed him! I ain't got no problem killing you!"

Dirk's heart rate spiked. Todd had been listening to it to try and bring his racing pulse back down, but something caused a sharp spike, sending Todd's eyes wide open. The man had rounded the dumpster, and his gun was pointed straight at Dirk. Todd hadn't realized he had launched himself at the man until they slammed into the far wall. He also hadn't heard the gunshot.

Todd could see the blue glow illuminated in the man's eyes as Todd pinned him to the wall. A look of fear and confusion danced across the man's features. Todd was close enough that he could smell his terrible cologne, and hear his pounding heartbeat.

"What the hell!?" The man shouted. Todd pulled him back from the wall and slammed him forward. The man's head connected with the brick this time and his eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out. Todd let him fall and as he did the world slowed.

Todd felt a sharp pain in his side and looked down. Blood had started to seep through his shirt, a small hole now visible where there hadn't been one before. He had a brief moment of panic before he realized that the front of his jacket didn't feature the hole. He quickly grabbed the zipper and spun zipping his jacket up.

_Maybe they wouldn't notice,_ Todd prayed to no god in particular. The man hit the ground as Dirk jumped from his spot behind the dumpster.

"Todd! Oh my god! Todd!" Dirk shouted as he raced forward. He grabbed at Todd's stomach, but Todd swatted him away, fear building in his chest.

"What?" Todd snapped, more annoyance than he had intended entered his tone and cast a shadow over Dirk's face.

"You've been shot!" Dirk said as tears formed. Panic moved across Dirk's features. "Let me see!" Dirk said, reaching again for Todd’s stomach. Todd looked down and frowned, he couldn't see the blood through his black hoodie, had Dirk seen the blood?

"No, I'm fine. It's all fine. I didn't–" Todd wasn't able to finish his sentence. Farah had run up at that moment, bypassing his swat and grabbed at his shirt.

"I saw what happened!" She shouted. "Whe–where–where's the wound?" Her voice dropped, and she looked up in confusion. Todd glanced down and almost laughed.

The wound that had definitely been there no longer was, his body had healed faster than he had thought. Farah hadn't noticed the blood on his undershirt because it was still tucked under the zipped hoodie. Todd glanced up and shrugged, pushing his shirt back down.

"I don't know what you guys thought happened, but I'm fine, he clearly missed." He gave them a soft smile and his best 'sorry' face. Dirk was frowning, looking between Todd, the place the man had appeared around the dumpster, and where Todd had been. Todd was concerned that Dirk was beginning to work it out, but Dirk suddenly looked up and pointed, moving towards the wall.

"Oh, there, there's a bullet in the brick. It looks like this one came from that direction. I guess, he did miss." Farah glanced from Todd to the wall and back for a moment before closing her eyes.

"Okay. Well then, good job not dying. I'm, I'm going to take this guy into the cops. Do you two want to come along?" She said looking at the two of them.

"Yes!"

"No."

Todd glanced over at Dirk who looked confused.

"No, you go on without me," Todd clarified, "I've got a thing this evening that I can't miss." He was already walking back out of the alley. He could hear Farah whispering to Dirk as he went, because how could she have known that Todd could listen in from that far away.

"That's the second time he's skipped out on us." She was saying. Dirk agreed.

"It's also not the first time he's almost died and then didn't. You don't suppose something's up that he's not telling us?" Dirk asked. Todd turned the corner and leaned against the wall, still listening in on the others.

"I think if it were important he'd tell us. But maybe start keeping track of how many times he doesn't die though, cause that number is already higher than you'd expect." Farah said. Todd cursed as he pushed off from the wall and headed towards the office.

They were starting to piece it together, and if he wasn't careful they were going to catch him before he was ready to talk.

* * *

**November, 6 and a Half Months After**

Todd had this down.

He knew the schedule, he knew how to hide it, and he even knew how not to make it look like he had suddenly developed superpowers. Because after taking a bullet to the stomach and then having no wound was somewhat hard to explain, especially to Farah, who had since taken a special interest in watching how often death "missed Todd" as Dirk put it.

He was sitting at his desk, making his way through his second hamburger when the door to the office banged open.

"Guess who's back bitches!"

Todd had dropped the burger and vaulted the desk before he had time to process what his other senses were telling him.

_Stop, idiot, it's Amanda._ Amanda was standing just inside the door, her hands raised above her head and a smile on her face. At Todd's sudden movement she lowered her hands and made a quizzical expression.

"And it looks like someone has been learning parkour. That was impressive!" She moved forward and wrapped Todd in a hug.

"Hey, sis! Um, yeah, been learning some new moves, never know when stuff is gonna go sideways, and you need to, climb a building, or whatever." Todd said, rushing through the sentence like he was trying to win a race. She laughed and moved away from him and further into the office.

"Come on boys! I'm gonna find Dirk and Farah, the back, right? No wrecking!" she shouted as she disappeared into the kitchen. The Rowdy3 and Beast all clamored into the office. They all were still rocking the gray on gray and Beast was decked out in a new beanie and sunglasses.

"Hey, guys," Todd said waving his hand.

All heads turned to him, and the group slowly moved forward. The oldest, Martin, took a deep inhale as they came within arm's reach of Todd.

"You smell, different," Martin said, moving closer than Todd would have liked. The strong smell of alcohol and cigarettes met his nose, making him sniff. Todd swallowed. He had not anticipated the Rowdy3. Looks like he didn't know everything.

"Do I? Must be my, cologne." Please accept that response.

"Nah, it ain't that." Cross said, poking him in the chest with a baseball bat.

"Yeah, you smell weird, like– like–" Gripps cut Vogel off.

"Wet dog. Definitely wet dog." Todd gave a forced laugh.

"That's, so– that's– ya know that's kinda rude but whatever, I guess." Todd tried to back away, but Martin wrapped him in a tight embrace, catching him by the back of his head and pulling him in close so that they were forehead to forehead.

"You ain't told nobody, have you?" Martin said, his voice wasn't accusatory, but it still put Todd off.

"Told anyone-"

"Don't play dumb with us, we know. You can't lie to our noses. That's not how this works." Martin continued as the sound of laughter and chatter could be heard moving back towards the main area.

"You tell Drummer, or we will." Martin released Todd and pushed him backward slightly. Heat rose in Todd's chest, but he pushed it back down and nodded.

"I will. Tonight. I promise." Martin snorted and looked past Todd towards the kitchen door.

"There's the Brit. Do you mind if we snag an afternoon snack?"

Todd watched as all the blood drained from Dirk's face.

"Um–" Dirk's voice cracked as he looked at the different Rowdy members.

"We're just playing Boss Man. Chill!" Vogel shouted, jumping onto the couch and watching as Beast raced over to Dirk.

"Beautsie Boy, idja mis may?" she crooned up at him. Dirk smiled at her.

"Of course I missed you, Beast. It's so good to see you." Dirk said as Todd quietly grabbed his jacket and snuck out before anyone could notice.

So he was going to tell Amanda. Tonight. That seemed so soon. He needed to catch his breath. The lies had to come to an end at some point. It made sense that he would start with Amanda. It would have made more sense if he had just told her when it had happened, but he had been so panicked at that point. What was he supposed to say? _Hey Amanda, I was out on a case and got attacked, but guess what? Now I'm–_

"Todd?"

Oh god, Amanda. She had followed him outside. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this right now. Could he?

"Hey, everything okay? Martin said you wanted to talk to me in private. You've probably only got about five minutes though; Dirk looked like he was about ready to bolt." Todd was still facing away from her; his whole body was humming. He couldn't do this; he was going to throw up.

"Todd?" Her hand rested carefully on his shoulder, and the humming stopped. Todd's world righted itself, and he took his first full breath in almost five minutes.

"Yeah, um, we should go for a walk. There's a park, not too far." He said, pointing away from the office and up the street.

"Whoa, this must be serious. Dude, is everything okay?" Amanda asked, her brow furrowing in worry. Todd thought about telling her right there, but he wanted her to be able to walk away from him if she got upset.

"Yeah, well, no, well, it's fine, but I just need to talk to you about some stuff. The park seems like a good place." Amanda held her hands up in surrender and smiled.

"Alright, lead on."

 

It took them five minutes to walk to the park, and another five to find a bench that wasn't anywhere near people. Todd had a feeling that yelling would feature heavily in this conversation and he didn't want people to call the cops, or at least, he wanted to be able to see the police coming and book it out of there.

"So, you dragged me all the way out here to tell me something important. Oh my god, are you dying? Wait, have you been lying about something and you didn't want me to cause a scene in front of the office? Oh, I know! It's about Dirk. Something happened with Dirk!" Amanda was excitedly bouncing in place, watching as Todd sat down next to her.

"Amanda, trust me, you're not gonna be able to guess." He said. She turned so that she was facing him.

"Alright, loser, out with it." She said, waving her hand out in front of her. Todd took a deep breath.

"So, let me start with, I have been lying. Not to you, it's never come up, but I've been lying to Farah, and Dirk. And I know that's wrong, but I just, I'm freaking out a bit. I thought I was doing okay, but I don't think I am." He had started shaking, when had he started shaking?

"Todd, whoa, hey, what's wrong? Wait, what have you been lying about?" She asked. He could see the anger, from before, when he had lied about the pararibulitis, return to her eyes before fading away. He took a steadying breath.

And it all came spilling out. The robbery Dirk and he had been investigating seven months prior, the alley he had mistakenly turned down, the creature that jumped him, waking up in the middle of the woods, lying to Dirk, lying to Farah. He told her about jumping off the building, and getting shot, and how he had been trying to be so careful to make it seem like he wasn't what he knew he was because the others didn't know. Farah was getting suspicious and the more weird crap that happened, the more Dirk was starting to think that maybe Todd was like him.

"And, I just don't know what to do. How do I tell them that for the last seven months I've been lying, and sneaking around, and trying to deal with this myself? Dirk is never going to trust me again. I know it." Amanda snorted.

Todd looked up at her and found that she had a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"Is something funny?" He asked.

"Well, it's just– you spent your whole adult life lying about a disease you didn't have, then you got the disease. Now you have a completely different, we'll call it a condition, and instead of seeking out a support system you have decided to wallow in self-pity and deal with it yourself. Which is bonkers, do you know how excited Dirk would be if you just told him? He loves this kind of shit." She said, giving him a wry smile and nudging against his shoulder. Todd was genuinely confused. Amanda didn't seem mad, not like the last time. She appeared almost, sorry?

"But, it could put them in danger." He tried.

"Todd, from what you've told me, the only one in danger is you. You think you're invincible now–"

"Well no, bullets really hurt."

"– and you're taking unnecessary risks and precautions. In reality, you just need to let them know that you need like one day off a month. Like, it's not a big deal. I mean, it is, it's a huge deal, it's fucking crazy, but, the only person you're hurting, emotionally and physically, with your lying is yourself. Sure, Dirk and Farah will be hurt you didn't tell them right off the bat. And Farah will definitely be getting silver bullets for her birthday from me–"

"Why?! That's like, so mean!"

"– but they, like me, are here to love and support you. We all still think you're an asshole, but you're ours, so we have to love you. Tell them when you're ready. This is a big thing, and it's important that you're comfortable telling people."

Todd gave her a soft smile and leaned in for a hug.

"Thanks, sis."

"No problem, bro."

She pushed him back, another crazy grin on her face.

"So, tell me, are your senses like crazy enhanced now?" Todd laughed.

"You have no idea."

* * *

**December, 8 Months After**  

Todd still hadn't told them. He was just too nervous. He had stopped lying and merely avoided the questions Dirk and Farah threw his way.

How did you get here so fast? Didn't that guy hit you with a baseball bat? You have to tell us how you made that jump.

He had spoken with Amanda weekly since the talk they had. She wanted all the crazy updates; she wanted to know what it was like, where he went, what he did, all of it. And he was happy to share with her, or at least, he was relieved to tell someone finally. But he just wasn't sure if he could tell Farah, if he could tell Dirk.

His phone chimed with a reminder. 'Dentist Appointment, Tonight, Root Canal.' Todd sighed, moving his phone into his pocket as he continued looking at the paperwork on his desk.

"You must have amazing teeth."

Todd looked up to see Dirk smiling at him from across the office.

"Sorry?" Todd asked. His skin prickled. Tonight was going to be harder than the others.

"Your phone. The sound is your reminder correct? I never see you set the reminder for anything other than dentist appointments. Say, where do you go that they stay open so late? I'd love to get in there, during the day is so much harder than at night." Dirk was still grinning. Todd had a brief moment of whether or not he should tell him right there, but then the fear crept back in. What if Dirk was mad, what if he hated him after? What if Dirk never wanted to see him again and he had to live a Dirk-less existence?

When had Todd started caring so much about what Dirk thought?

"I personally hate the dentist. The last time I went I screamed so loud I _howled_." Dirk said, his smile widening if that were possible.

"No kidding," Todd said, ignoring Dirk's adorable grin. Stupid grin, when had it become adorable?

"Yes, they had to give me cotton, really _packed_ it in." This was a lot of random dental information Todd wasn't sure he needed.

"Yeah, they do that." Todd agreed as he shuffled some papers into his pack and started tidying up his desk.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you." Dirk had appeared in front of Todd's desk, causing Todd to jump slightly. Even with the enhanced hearing, Todd was always surprised by Dirk sneaking up on him. Farah often commented that they needed to get a bell for Dirk.

"There's a super-moon tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out into the middle of nowhere, far away from other people, to, you know, watch the moon." Dirk was almost vibrating, and Todd thought that he was trying to hold himself back from all-out jumping up and down. Todd narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I've got my dentist appointment,” Todd said, still not quite sure what was going on. “Really can't miss it, you know how those things are." Dirk nodded, still grinning ear to ear like he had won the lottery.

"Yes, appointments. Dentists. Teeth. All of it, that stuff, very familiar with the workings of dental professionals. But perhaps, maybe just this once, you could possibly move your appointment, and we could go watch the moon. Together. In the middle of nowhere. Far away from other people."

Was Dirk asking him out? Was that what was happening? Todd realized that he might not actually mind going out on a date with Dirk, he was quite attractive, and they were such good friends that it couldn’t possibly be bad, but that was something Todd had just started to realize, and he felt like that might be a lot all at once.

"Or, I could come with you," Dirk continued, "to the dentist thing and then we could go after. Of course after. But we could go together. A pair. You know what they say about packs and other such, group, gang, words."

Todd had narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Is this a British thing that's getting lost in translation?" Todd asked. Dirk grabbed Todd's bag and swung it over his shoulder, shaking his head as he went. He walked back to his desk and flipped his computer off and picked up a few things.

"No of course not. I simply want to go with you to your dentist appointment, and then drag you out into the middle of nowhere to watch the moon. Simple as that. No ulterior motives of any kind whatsoever." Dirk reached behind his desk and pulled out a large, industrial-looking cooler. Todd was surprised that he wasn't able to smell what was inside and was quickly becoming suspicious.

"What's that?" Todd asked, pointing at the cooler. Dirk looked at the cooler and smiled.

"Oh, just some snacks. For after the dentist appointment of course. Come along. I'll drive." Before Todd could protest, Dirk headed for the door.

"Come on. Don't want to be late!" Dirk shouted over his shoulder as he pushed the door open.

Todd slowly followed Dirk out of the office and to his car. He watched as Dirk placed the, apparently heavy, cooler in the back along with both of their bags. Dirk slid into the driver's seat and had a moment where he seemed to have completely forgotten how to drive.

"You're not, gonna kill me and put me in the cooler are you?" Todd asked. Dirk looked over at Todd; shock etched across his face.

"What would give you that idea?" Dirk questioned.

"Well, the insistence on accompanying me, the want to go to the middle of nowhere, the industrial cooler. These are just a few of the things I'm picking up on." Todd counted on his fingers as he listed his concerns. Dirk laughed and swung the car out of the parking lot.

"Don't be silly Todd, you would be far too gamey to eat!” Dirk smiled as they drove.

"I never said anything about eating me! That's not comforting, like, at all." Todd had never considered that as a possibility and was startled by the suggestion.

"Well, you would!" Dirk stated looking at Todd for far longer than someone who is driving a car should. Todd pulled out his phone and sent a quick text off to Amanda.

_Dude! Did you tell Dirk?_

_Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long for her response._

_What? No! …why? - A_

_He's acting super weird._

_Like normal weird, or weirder than usual? - A_

_I'm pretty sure he's gonna kill me and throw me in a cooler._

_Oh...you might die tonight. Can I have your guitar? - A_

_Amanda! Not helpful._ You're _sure you didn't tell him?_

_Cross my heart! <3 I'll miss you when you're gone – A_

_Thx_

Todd placed his phone back in his pocket and realized that Dirk was headed straight out of the city. Todd was going to correct him, but he decided he would just let whatever happened happen. Even if there was a dentist that stayed open past five in Seattle, Todd had no idea where it would be, and he didn’t have time to figure it out. Worst came to worst he knew he could tuck and roll out of the car and most likely not die.

They drove for about two hours before Todd started to get antsy. His skin had started to prickle, and his senses were getting overwhelmed. He had never tried to come out to the middle of nowhere before. Instead, he had always locked himself in the extra storage space they had in the back of the office. No one ever went back there, so they hadn't noticed when Todd had soundproofed the room, or how he fixed up the scratch marks every month.

Or at least, he hoped they hadn't noticed.

Dirk was quietly humming to himself as they pulled off the highway and on to a dark country road. They hadn't passed any houses for quite some time, and the more Todd thought about it, the more he wondered if Dirk really did just want to watch the moon.

"Almost there," Dirk said, breaking the silence as they continued down the dark forest road.

"Where?" Todd asked looking around. It was dark, but the moon still wouldn't be up for almost another forty minutes.

"Oh, I had Farah purchase a small cabin out here. If she asks, it's for a case involving a bear." Dirk stated matter of factly. That still didn't answer anything.

"Wait, why?" Todd asked.

"Well, because bears live in the woods and that seemed like a logical explanation for purchasing–"

"No, I mean, why did you have her purchase a cabin?" Todd cut him off. Dirk looked over and smiled at Todd.

"Because this cabin is located roughly 45 miles from the closest neighbor and more than 90 miles from a large town. Which for these parts isn't very big, the largest town is roughly 400 people, a hamlet really. So, we'll have the place all to ourselves." Dirk was beaming.

"You realize how serial killery that sounds right?" Todd asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"I do, yes, but that's not what the cabin is for. You’ll see when we get there. You’re going to love it.” Dirk remained quiet for the rest of the drive, letting Todd focus on the growing discomfort in his stomach. This had been a bad idea. He was going to kill Dirk, and then wreck the car and then be trapped in the middle of the woods, he just knew it. Why did he let Dirk talk him into this?

Just as he was about to voice his concerns, they drove around a bend in the road and came upon a small rustic looking cabin. The cabin opened onto a large field and had a small lake in the back. How had Dirk even found this place? Dirk clicked a button in his car and the garage door – which was located slightly to the side of the cabin – opened slowly, allowing them to slow and park perfectly inside.

As soon as the car was off Todd hopped out and headed back out into the open air. Something inside of him clicked, he felt relaxed despite the growing heat in his chest. How had he never thought to come out to the woods before? This was so much better than that tiny cramped room.

Todd heard Dirk close the garage and then head into the house. He was going to follow him, but all the smells were quickly becoming overpowering. It was getting hard to focus.

A high-pitched whistle sounded, and Todd whirled in a circle. What was that sound? He could hear faint laughter coming from inside the cabin and decided it was time to talk to Dirk properly.

With a few quick strides he was inside and looking around. The cabin was modest but modern. It featured an entryway that doubled as the living and dining area, a small kitchen towards the back and a hall that led to a bathroom and two small bedrooms. Dirk was standing in the main living area and looking out the large window that looked out onto the field. He was also holding something shiny.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think that would work.” Dirk tried to shove the shiny object into his pocket, but Todd was faster, no longer holding back. He moved forward and snatched the small object from Dirk with ease.

“Is this a dog whistle?” he asked, rolling the small metal cylinder over in his hand. He glanced up at Dirk who was very red and looked fairly startled.

“Yes, yes it is. That was so fast. You just appeared.” Todd glanced back over to the spot where he had been standing a moment before.

“It’s only like ten feet. Why do you have a dog whistle?” Todd held up the whistle, and Dirk squirmed out from between Todd and the couch.

“Just a theory, well, testing a theory, and you know collecting data.”

“Uh-huh,” Todd said, slowly rolling his eyes and tossing the whistle back to Dirk.

“How long have you known?” Dirk made his ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that’ face, his eyes slightly wide and his mouth agape.

“Known what?” He asked. Todd could hear Dirk's heartbeat skip slightly as he spoke.

“Oh, you so know. Did Amanda tell you?” the beat remained steady.

“No, of course not. I’m sure whatever you think I know I don’t because I rarely know anything ever. You should give it a shot; it’s really quite relaxing.” Todd noticed the fear before Dirk could even process the emotion.

“You don’t have to be scared,” Todd said, trying to soften his tone, but it was so difficult to focus. The sounds, the smells, it was only about ten minutes out now.

“Scared? Ha, I’m not scared. What would I have to be scared of? It’s just you. And me. In a cabin. In the woods. In the middle of nowhere. With no cell reception. Oh god, why did I think this was a good idea?” Dirk sat down with a hard thump on the couch and Todd cocked his head a little to the side.

"Man, it's fine. You just stay in here, lock the doors, and it'll be good. I'll see you in the morning." Todd moved around Dirk and headed towards the door. He had almost made the distance when he heard Dirk jump up.

"Well, no, I'll come with you." Dirk said, a chipper skip returning to his voice, but covering the fear that Todd could smell. Todd spun on his heel and pointed at Dirk.

"No." He said, a small growl making its way into his words. "You're going to stay in here. Where I know you'll be safe. And I'm going to go out there, and then I'll come back in the morning. Maybe. Hopefully. I'm fairly sure I'll be able to find my way back to this cabin." Dirk's scent flooded Todd's nose as Dirk invaded his space.

"No, you've been alone far too long, I want to help. I want, well I'm not sure, but I want to help." Todd sighed. It was definitely hard to focus now. Dirk smelled so good, like warmth and sunshine. When had he started thinking about how good Dirk smelled? Was it time, did he miscalculate? He had to get out of there before something terrible happened.

"Dirk, I don't know what's going to happen. I've never done," he gestured around to the cabin, the woods, everything, "this before, and certainly never with you around. It's just, sorry, it's hard to focus." He found himself taking deep breaths, trying to focus on Dirk's face and failing.

"Well then let me help, how can I help?" Todd sighed, looking down at his feet.

"Please, just stay here. I'll be back in the morning, but I need to know you're safe. Please stay in the cabin. Please keep the door closed. Just, please." Dirk looked like he was going to disagree, and Todd knew that if he did he wouldn't be able to fight anymore, he would let Dirk do whatever he wanted, but Dirk nodded his head.

"Okay," Dirk said, the natural energy that usually filled Dirk's words had faded.

Todd gave Dirk a sad smile and slipped out the front door into the night.


	2. Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it to the next chapter! This one is kinda angsty, kinda fluffy. I don't know. I hope you like it!

Dirk locked the door after Todd left and made sure that the garage was all closed up, he knew he definitely didn't want anything to happen to the car. It was a rental after all. As Dirk checked the entrances to the cabin, he flipped off all the lights, settling on the sofa and looking out the large window near the door to see if he could see anything out in the field. The moon hadn't cleared the trees yet, but Dirk thought that he could make out a large dark shape moving outside amongst the tall grass.

Had it happened? What happened next? Did he really just wait in the cabin until the moon set and then hope that his friend would make it back?

This had been a bad idea. Dirk began biting his nails as he tried to see the inky blackness. Dirk wasn’t sure what he thought he wanted to happen. He knew that he wanted to help, and Dirk had figured that this would be the best way to help, but he had no idea.

_Door._

A hunch pushed his attention in the direction of the front door. Now was not the time. Todd had told him to stay inside, and that's what he was going to do.

_Cooler. Door._

Well, maybe he could just open it a little bit. Plus, he had the cooler, he could shove that outside if things went sideways. He retrieved the cooler from the kitchen and placed it next to the front door. As soon as he opened the lid, he heard a creak from the other side of the door. The sound of sniffing and shuffling could be heard, and Dirk didn't dare breathe. What if the door didn't hold? This really had been a terrible idea.

There was a thump on the other side. Not like something ran up against the door, but like something had fallen on the deck. Carefully making his way back over to the window he peeked out. At first, he couldn't see anything, but then, as the moon rose over the trees, he could make out the shape of a dark furry mass laying on the front porch near the stairs. The mass rose and fell, with even breaths, and Dirk could hear soft whines coming through the door.

Maybe, he'd just open the door a little bit.

Dirk clicked the lock and heard a shuffle outside. The shuffle only lasted for a moment, and Dirk imagined that the creature had turned to look at the door. With a deep breath, and bracing the door with his shoulder, he slowly opened it, inch by inch. There was no shuffling to indicate movement, just soft whines. Dirk poked his head out and locked eyes with the creature.

What Dirk had imagined was very different than what sat before him. This was not the wolf-man of the movies, the movies that Dirk had watched over the last couple of months included much more vicious looking creatures, ripped from the nightmares, and definitely still haunting his. This beast was different.

For starters, it was an actual wolf, and it was enormous. If Dirk had to guess he’d say the wolf was probably five feet tall at the shoulder, far larger than what regular wolves should look like if the Seattle Zoo was to be believed. Dark brown, or possibly black fur covered its entire body save for a small white patch on the front of its chest. Glowing crystal blue eyes watched him as he slowly inched the door open all the way, and continued to watch him as he took a seat, pulling the cooler up alongside him.

The wolf shifted its attention to the cooler and made a snorting sound, puffs of steam escaping into the cold night air.

"Hi," Dirk said quietly, drawing out the 'i' and watching as the wolf cocked its head, "Um, I don't know if you can understand me, but, I brought this for you. I mean, I know I told you that already, but, it wasn't for you-you, it was for, for you." The wolf looked back up at him, giving another snort and carefully lowering itself down onto its stomach.

The night wasn’t freezing, but it was fairly cold, and Dirk found himself wondering about how warm the wolf was, whether it was able to keep itself from getting too cold or if it could feel the bite through the thick fur.

"And I know you said to keep the door closed, but, you know the hunches, can't ignore them can I?" he continued, watching as his own breath become mist as he spoke. The wolf gave another snort and inched closer.

"Oh god, please don't eat me. Here, try this." Dirk reached into the cooler, which contained about $400 worth of raw steak. He had made the purchase the day before with the company credit card, and Farah had called him as he was walking out of the store, demanding to know why that much steak was necessary. Dirk had explained that he had a hunch, but Farah had huffed, muttering about how she was going to take it out of his paycheck as she hung up.

Dirk grabbed a piece, carefully tossing it towards the wolf. He had undershot, and the wolf had to inch forward to grab the steak. With three giant chomps, the steak was gone, and the wolf settled back down, head resting carefully on its front paws.

"I don't know why you never told me. I mean, I'm sure you had your reasons. But, you could trust me, I would have understood. This is quite big news. I'm sorry, I didn't make you feel like you could tell me. I'm sure Farah will feel the same way."

The wolf whined softly and moved forward again. A few more inches and it would be within arm's reach.

"I've known for a while. I figured it out after you 'fell' off that building. You had asked about werewolves a bit before and then a bit before that you had disappeared on that case, and then you were so weird for the rest of that week. It was especially obvious when you didn't get shot by that bullet that definitely hit you. I should have seen it sooner. I guess I'm not that great of a detective." The wolf gave a soft yip and stood, covering the remaining distance and pushing its head firmly against Dirk's chest.

"Hey! Okay, whoa, I'm sorry, did I offend you? What happened?" The wolf looked up, and carefully nuzzled against Dirk's face. The wolf’s fur was wonderfully soft, and just like Dirk had thought, it was very warm. Dirk lifted his hand to pet the wolf’s neck but stopped short; he wasn’t sure if that would be alright. The wolf turned its head and pushed into his hand, carefully rubbing against Dirk’s with the tip of its nose.

"Todd, I just, I wish you had told us. I'm so sorry you've been doing this all on your own." Dirk wrapped his arms around the wolf's neck and held tight. They stayed like that for several minutes, while Dirk's pounding heart slowed. He sighed and carefully stood.

"Come on. I want to go see the super-moon, and then we can come back here, and you can eat the rest of these steaks." The wolf snorted and sat in the doorway, watching while Dirk grabbed his jacket, more content than it had ever been in its entire existence.

 

Todd woke the next morning confused. He always felt confused the morning after, the events of the night before were typically a blur. As he slowly allowed wakefulness into his system, however, he began remembering bits and pieces from the previous night. The images didn’t make much sense, and he was having trouble focusing as he realized he was overheating.

He blinked open his eyes and found himself staring into the kitchen of the cabin. Dirk was flitting around, frying something on the stove. Todd himself was laying on the couch, covered in several knit throws that he didn’t remember seeing the day before.

Wait.

He was inside. Why was he inside?

The events of the night before slowly began to order themselves in his mind. He had been out in the field, and then he remembered being on the porch, and then Dirk. Dirk had opened the door. Dirk had sat with him and fed him, and rubbed his fur and, Todd looked up at the man still flitting around the kitchen.

 _Pack,_ his body all but shouted at him.

Dirk was pack. Dirk was his to protect. Dirk, had realized he was awake.

"There you are. How are you feeling? Can you eat? You ate through pretty much all of the steaks last night, but I convinced you to leave two for the morning so you could have breakfast." Dirk was smiling at him. Dirk was there.

"You opened the door," Todd said, trying to keep his tone even. A shadow crossed over Dirk's face.

"Yes, I did, but I just, I had a hunch. I told you last night, but I realize you might not remember. I had a hunch, and a lot of steaks, and figured it would be alright." Dirk looked like Todd had just kicked his puppy.

"And then you let me sleep on the couch?" Todd asked, wrapping the blanket tightly around his waist, carefully sitting up, he was surprised he didn’t feel the usual aches and pains.

"It seemed warmer than outside, I mean, it is December after all." Dirk was trying to sound chipper as he gestured towards the door.

"I could have hurt you. I could have killed you. Hell, I could have turned you! How could I live with that?" Todd’s even tone had vanished, leaving him shouting across the room. Dirk moved forward, covering the distance in a few long paces and sat down next to Todd. Todd could still smell Dirk; he smelled so good, he smelled like warm afternoons, running through a field, he smelled like paradise.

"But you didn't.” Dirk said, using his most reassuring voice, “I knew you wouldn't. You just seemed so sad. You've been doing that alone for months, and I just thought that maybe you could have someone there with you. You were crying." Crying? Todd didn't remember crying. He must have looked puzzled because Dirk pointed towards the window.

"I saw you, out on the porch, curled in a tight ball, whining. You sounded heartbroken, I just, I couldn't take it. Not when I could open the door and make you happy. I mean, that's why I brought the steak." Dirk gave a soft laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"The steaks didn't make me happy." Todd sighed, with an eye-roll.

"You did.” Todd continued, “You, being there, made me happy. I've never felt like that, like, I wasn't alone." Todd smelled the shift immediately. He had made Dirk upset. He turned quickly and saw tears forming.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. Please don't cry, what did I–" Dirk cut him off and smothered him with a tight hug. Todd tensed at the contact, but his muscles relaxed without him thinking about it. He melted into the embrace and wrapped his arms around Dirk’s back.

"I'm glad I could be there for you," Dirk said into Todd's neck. Todd laughed a little.

"I'm glad you were there for me too." He took a deep breath and turned his attention towards the kitchen.

"Um, that steak is on fire." Dirk bolted for the stove while Todd laughed from the couch.

 

Todd showered and found his clothes stacked neatly on the floor outside the bathroom. Changing quickly he took a whiff of his shirt; it smelled like flowers.

“Dirk, did you wash my clothes?” Even as he said it, he could remember collecting the clothes the night before, sitting in front of the washing machine, and very vaguely he could recall Dirk humming along to Little Mix.

“Yes, I thought having clean clothes would be relaxing for you,” Dirk said, poking his head out of the kitchen. Todd gave a soft smile as he walked the short distance from the bathroom to the kitchen.

“I remember now. You really like Little Mix don’t you?” Dirk laughed as he tossed the remnants of the steak into the trash.

“So you can remember what happened last night,” Dirk said, he ran a rag across the counter quickly and turned, watching Todd move into the room. Todd shrugged and hopped up onto the counter.

“Yeah, it’s usually blurry, but I remember last night pretty well. Maybe it was the moon, or maybe–” he stopped himself from saying ‘maybe it was you being there.’ “I don’t know. Maybe it was the fresh air.” He continued. Dirk turned from the sink and leaned backward.

“So I do have a question for you, you got very agitated at something I said. Do you remember what it was?” Todd frowned.

“Agitated? Did I try to hurt you?” Todd had been concerned something terrible had happened, but Dirk had seemed fine. Dirk shook his head quickly, realizing that Todd had started to worry.

“No, no, nothing like that. I think it was something I said, you jumped up and rubbed your head against me. You seemed upset.” Todd vaguely remembered Dirk talking. Todd could remember extreme defiance like he had shouted ‘no.’

“It was when you were talking about how you had figured it out, right? Did you say you were a bad detective?” He asked. The heat boiled in Todd’s stomach as Dirk’s face fell.

“Well, I mean, I must be. It was so obvious, and I just didn’t see it.” Dirk mumbled.

“No!” Todd jumped from the counter, and Dirk took a step back.

“Dirk, you’re not a bad detective. Don’t let me not telling you this make you think that you’re to blame. This was my bullshit that I wasn’t willing to share. I’m the one with trust issues here.” Todd had started hyperventilating and realized he was overheating. Dirk was frowning at him, worry stitched across his face.

“Todd? Are you okay? You’ve gone very red.” Dirk’s concern barely registered with Todd as the world began to spin. Todd shook his head as his knees buckled underneath him. Dirk followed him to the ground, throwing out his arms to try and steady Todd as he fell.

“I don’t know. I feel sick. I feel like–” the first time he had shifted. That’s what the feeling was.

“Dirk, run!” He let out a pained scream as his spine cracked. He could hear Dirk race from the room, and then he couldn’t hear anything. His ears were ringing. This shouldn’t be happening. He had never shifted outside of a full moon. What was happening?

He faded to black as he heard a howl rip from his throat.

 

Todd could feel something was different. He came to on the floor staring down a much longer than usual nose. Wait. His nose. He did a quick inventory and realized his fears had been realized; he had shifted, but now instead of having a wolf brain take over, it was just him trapped and confused. He could hear himself whining, and he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Todd?” Dirk’s voice sounded from behind him, having ignored Todd and stayed.

 _Damn it, Dirk, I told you to run,_ he tried to shout. He raised his head and turned wrong, sending pain down his back. He cried out as he lowered his head back down.

“Todd!” Dirk sounded panicked, and Todd could hear him run back into the kitchen.

 _No, please go._ Todd tried to say, but only more whines came out.

Dirk’s hands found his shoulder, and the contact felt divine, but he was having trouble focusing because of the panic, he had no idea how this had happened. What was Todd going to do?

“Todd? Can you hear me, are you okay?” Dirk spoke quickly as he ran a hand down Todd’s side.

 _Of_ course _I can hear you, Dirk._ He tried to push himself up off the floor with no luck. How did he usually do this? The answer he knew was that he wasn’t usually doing it, the wolf’s instincts typically took over. He flailed slightly but couldn’t figure out how to get his legs under him.

“Here,” Dirk said.

Dirk’s hands were on him again, this time under his side, carefully pushing him over. That did the trick. Todd rolled onto his stomach and covered his face with his paws. Maybe if he just pretended this wasn’t happening it wouldn’t be.

“Hey, hey it’s alright. We’ll figure this out. It’ll be okay.” Dirk’s voice was soothing, and Todd knew he could listen to it all day, but he didn’t want to listen as the wolf.

 _No, it won’t! This isn’t fine Dirk._ He let out a strangled howl, causing Dirk to shuffle backward slightly.

“Has this ever happened before?” Dirk asked, scooting forward again and placing his hand on Todd’s head. The contact sparked another memory from the night before, of Dirk petting circles around his ears. Had he actually let Dirk get that close to him?

Todd had to try to communicate; he had to let Dirk know what was going on. He shook his head, which took a surprising amount of effort.

“You seem to understand me a bit better than last night, is today different?” Dirk asked, he was trying to sound soothing but Todd could hear the worry catch in the back of his throat.

Todd let out an annoyed yip. _Of_ course _it is Dirk, it’s daytime._ Todd nodded his head.

“Wait. Todd? Is that all you?” Dirk had switched from soothing to concerned. Dirk had figured it out. Todd knew he would. God, what was going he going to do? How was Todd going to get out of this? He nodded his head and let it roll back, a mournful howl escaping his throat. If Todd had to guess, he’d say this was the most miserable he had ever been.

“Oh, okay, not even remotely like last night. Here, let’s see if you can stand.” Dirk jumped up and moved around to Todd’s side.

 _Stand? No, Dirk, I don’t want to._ More whines. What Todd would give for just one word. Dirk’s hands were under him again, pushing him up onto all fours.

“Fantastic! Now give walking a try.” Dirk’s voice sounded far to chipper for the situation.

 _This was stupid,_ Todd thought to himself. He didn’t know how. He was going to fall and hurt himself. Glaring down at what should have been his hands but were in fact paws, a growl formed in his throat.

“Come on, you do this all the time, just relax, or as much as you can, and just, one foot in front of the other,” Dirk said, giving Todd thumbs up as he backed up slightly out of his way.

Ever the optimist. Todd sighed and carefully moved one paw at a time. He would have given anything to check out and let the wolf take over, to help him do better than walk in a drunken circle, but it was just him. Todd was reasonably sure the wolf wouldn’t be back the way it had been for the last several months. He turned too quickly and collapsed onto the floor.

_Shit!_

“Shit, okay, here, let’s get you to the couch.” Dirk was back at his side, helping him up and carefully cradling his chest in case he fell forward. They made it to the couch without incident. Todd almost thought that he had gotten the hang of walking when he realized he had to jump up onto the couch.

 _You can do this,_ he thought, trying to access some of Dirk’s positive attitude.

He jumped, and then fell over into the back cushions.

 _Fuck!_ A snarl ripped from his teeth, and he buried his head under the throw pillows.

“Hey, it’ll be fine, I’m sure you’ll shift back, it’ll be fine, you’ll see.” Dirk tried to soothe him as he whined into the pillows.

 _How can you know?_ Todd wanted to cry, but Dirk couldn’t understand him.

Dirk sat on the floor next to Todd’s head, mindlessly reaching up to rub at Todd’s neck. Todd closed his eyes and relaxed. He would never admit it, but the pets were marvelous. Stupid Dirk, and his stupid optimism, and his stupid, amazing pets. Todd rested his muzzle on Dirk’s shoulder, letting Dirk’s scent calm him.

“Well, at least we know you’ll definitely remember this don’t we?” Dirk laughed.

 _Not funny, Dirk._ A growl escaped him, and Dirk turned slightly.

“Hey, there is no need for an attitude. Think of it this way. Maybe you can control the shift. Maybe you can do it whenever you want to. Not that you wanted to just now, but maybe you could make it happen on command. Plus this is all you, now we surely know that you won’t hurt people.”

Dirk did have a point there.

“Can’t you imagine how cool it would be for cases.” Dirk continued, “The bad guys chasing us and then bam, wolf, take that bad guys!”

 _Okay, that would be pretty cool,_ Todd mused. God, he wished Dirk could hear him.

“I think this is a real asset,” Dirk stated. “Don’t you? It’s possibly the coolest thing that’s ever happened.”

Todd sighed and tried to stand again. This time, getting up without Dirk’s assistance. He climbed carefully off the couch and awkwardly walked towards Dirk’s shoes by the fireplace.

“Oh, are we going outside? I’ll grab my jacket.” Dirk popped up, throwing on his jacket, along with the overcoat he had brought and his scarf, and slipping into his shoes. Todd sat patiently by the door while Dirk moved around and stood as he headed over.

“Let’s go have an adventure.” He threw the door open and let in the fresh forest air.

 

Todd easily outpaced Dirk, but he made little figure eights, looping carefully around him so that he was never too far away. Todd hoped that going for a walk would somehow tire him out, and maybe, help him shift back, but he wasn’t sure. This was all new territory for him. Literally.

Todd made his way off trail and headed towards a small stream.

“Todd?” Dirk called out after him. Todd gave a bark and a tail flick that he hoped said, ‘stay there, I’ll be right back.’

After a quick drink, he loped back to find that Dirk was still standing where he had left him.

“I think we should head this way.” Dirk pointed down an overgrown trail. Todd was a little nervous about going off the path, but he knew he could get them back using his nose.

Taking the lead, Todd pushed through the underbrush, slightly clearing a path for Dirk. Something smelled like warm earth from up ahead, and he wondered if there was a clearing nearby.

“This is nice, right? Walking through the woods, it’s a beautiful day, I mean, you’re a wolf, but there are worse ways to spend a morning.” Dirk sounded like he was trying to stay positive and only slightly failing.

Todd flicked his tail and threw a glance over his shoulder.

“Too bad the conversation is so one-sided. Please just yip if I misunderstand.” Dirk was doing pretty well for interpreting yips and tail flicks. Todd wasn’t worried and flicked his tail again. They continued in silence for another ten minutes or so when the trail opened on to a large sun filled clearly. Todd had been right.

“Oh, this place is lovely. Do you want to take a break here?”

Todd gave his best shrug and looked around. The clearing was rather pretty, golden light filled every corner, and Todd realized that the meadow smelled a lot like Dirk, or at least, it reminded him of the way that Dirk made him feel. Todd was also surprised that the weather was warm enough to relax in the meadow. It was unseasonably warm for December at a comfortable sixty degrees.

Dirk took a seat next to him and leaned back, resting his head on the grass. Todd snorted and nudged his nose against Dirk’s head.

“Hey, I was just laying down, what’s the matter?” Dirk sat up, and Todd took the opportunity to curl up behind him. He gave a quick snort and rested his head on his paws.

Dirk seemed apprehensive about leaning backward onto Todd, but after a moment he gave in, carefully tangling his fingers in the fur on Todd’s shoulder.

“Thank you.” He smiled.

Dirk rambled for about an hour, about nothing in particular. Switching from subject to subject, with no real connection between them. Todd was content to listen for as long as he spoke. After some time, Dirk had begun to trail off and had fallen asleep. Todd didn’t have the heart to wake him.

He rested his head on his paws and wondered, not for the first time that day if things were ever going to go back to normal. Or at least, normal for them. He just wanted to be able to grab things again, honestly. He wanted to be able to hold things. And feel them on his skin. He wanted–

To hold Dirk.

He turned his head and watched as he slept soundly against Todd’s side. His smell mixed with the meadow and the wolf scent and Todd felt whole; really, truly, whole.

He wanted Dirk. He realized he wanted Dirk more than anything else. It was never something he had considered, but at that moment he knew that if he could ever make it back to being human he would tell Dirk as much.

He went back to resting his head on his paws and wondered what life would be like if he never switched back. He would probably live out here, eating whatever he could catch and the occasional steak when Dirk came to visit and then that would be life. That didn’t sound terrible. But it did seem lonely.

 

Todd wasn’t sure when he dozed off, but he was confident that when he woke he was still a wolf. Sleep didn’t make him change back. He was starting to think this might just be his life from then on. A rustling nearby drew his attention, and for the first time, he realized that they were literally in the middle of woods in the middle of nowhere Washington. There were cougars and bears in these woods, and just because Todd looked like a wolf didn’t mean he was going to win in a fight against an actual wild animal.

Todd stood up quickly, jostling Dirk awake.

“What’s happening?” He mumbled. Trying to prop himself up on his hands and failing.

Todd took a deep breath in. There was a person nearby, he knew it. But there was something off. Something familiar. Before he could place it, Farah appeared out of the woods, gun raised and pointed straight at Todd.

“Dirk, run when I say run,” Farah stated evenly, moving slowly and purposefully forward.

 _Oh shit. Farah, no, wait!_ Todd backed up, yipping, tail between his legs. He figured maybe if he could make himself look small she wouldn’t shoot.

“Farah? Oh god, no! Farah!” Dirk jumped up and ran between Farah and Todd.

“Dirk move.” Farah hissed, gun still pointing at Todd.

“No Farah, listen. Put the gun down. It’s fine; it’s not a wolf.” Todd was trying to figure out if he could make it to the trees before Farah fired, but figured he’d probably fall flat on his face before getting there. This was not how he wanted to go out. _Come on_ , he thought to himself, _turn back._

“Dirk, what? No, it’s a wild animal, move away from it.”

“It’s Todd!” Dirk shouted, taking a step backward toward Todd. Todd whined, he had hoped that this moment would be going better. He had hoped he would have been able to tell Farah himself. He certainly hadn’t wanted Dirk to have to do it for him while Farah pointed a gun at him.

Farah slowly lowered her gun, her face switching through several different emotions; confused, annoyed, which quickly changed to understanding and possibly sorrow. Todd moved slowly and seated himself next Dirk when he was sure Farah wasn’t going to shoot him.

“Oh my god, you were right? Todd, I’m so sorry. Dirk told me his theory, but I didn’t think it could be real. Are, are you okay?” She asked, starting to move forward and coming up just out of arm's reach.

 _Not even a little Farah. I’m stuck._ He yipped quietly, whines highlighting his despair.

“He’s having some issues. He can’t shift back.” Dirk explained.

“What? Todd, are you sure?”

Todd barked and nodded his head. At least she wasn’t trying to shoot him anymore.

“Okay, well, let’s get you guys back to civilization and see if we can get this sorted out.” Farah gave a soft – albeit confused – smile at Todd who felt the warmth in his chest again. He looked between Dirk and Farah and felt his tail gently start to wag. After a second he realized they were looking at him, waiting for him to make the first move. He couldn’t let them see his tail; they would never let him live it down.

He hopped up and barked as he trotted back into the woods ahead of the others.

 

It turned out Farah had chipped Dirk’s jackets, and whenever he didn’t show up to places on time, like work, because it was a Monday afternoon, she could just pull up the GPS and find him. Dirk had complained that that was an invasion of privacy, but Todd had growled in protest, sitting next to Farah and giving her a little swat with his tail.

“See, he agrees with me. Thanks, Todd.” She smiled and headed back to her car at that point. Farah had promised to call Amanda as soon as she had service so that she could come to Seattle. And that just left Dirk and Todd, who was still very much a wolf.

“Well, she’ll let Amanda know what’s going on. But not to worry we’ll get this fixed. It’s just like a case, and I can solve those! I’m great at those.” The chipper note Todd always looked for returned to Dirk’s voice.

Todd yipped in support and went to stand up only to find that his body was no longer functioning. A sharp pain sent him forward to his stomach, and he let out a yelp.

“Todd!” Dirk didn’t even get to worry about the wolf. Todd felt himself shift faster than he had before and found himself still fully conscious and crouched naked on the rough gravel ground.

“Oh my god, why?” Todd moaned. What had been rough pads, was now soft skin, and it quite hurt to stand on gravel with no protection.

“Todd! You’re back! And you’re naked. Yup, no, I’ll just, be right back.” Dirk disappeared into the house while Todd stood and carefully walked over to the stairs. Dirk reappeared, very red, and carrying a small stack of clothes. He was making a substantial point of only looking at Todd’s face, and nowhere else.

“Here. I brought up some spares a while back just in case.” Todd took the clothes with an awkward smile, and Dirk turned quickly around. Todd slipped into the sweatpants and t-shirt and tapped Dirk on the shoulder.

“You’re all good.” It came out more amused than Todd had intended. Dirk spun around and tackled Todd, a tight hug squeezing the air from his lungs.

“You’re back! I was so worried. You did it!” Dirk was almost crying as he spoke. Todd nuzzled into Dirk’s neck and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

“I never left. Thank you for staying.” Dirk nodded into Todd’s shoulder.

“Of course. I thought, well I was a little worried that you would be stuck like that. I mean, I’m fairly certain the Ridgely will not allow the bloody Hound of the Baskervilles to live with me.” Todd laughed and shoved Dirk backward lightly.

“Who says I wouldn’t have wanted to live with Farah, or Amanda, huh?” Todd asked playfully but Dirk looked hurt, and Todd could smell the increase in anxiety.

“I’m kidding. Of course, you’re my only choice. Someone’s gotta watch you.” Todd assured him. Dirk smiled and shrugged.

“What can I say, I’m accident prone.” Dirk walked into the cabin and headed for the kitchen, Todd close at his heels.

“So what happened?” Dirk asked. Todd was about to say he didn’t know but that was a lie, he knew what had happened. No more lying.

“It was you,” Todd said. Dirk turned, worry on his face, but Todd continued, “Your self-doubt triggered this protective urge, and I shifted. I was worried while we were out in the woods, so I stayed, and then we got back, and you said you would work the case, I don’t know, I felt you relax. And so I shifted back.”

“That’s incredible,” Dirk said. “You make it sound like I’m part of your pack or something.”

“You are.”

Dirk couldn’t respond. He looked almost shell-shocked.

“Of course you are.” Todd continued, “You’re the first one there. You’re the only thing the wolf has never tried to shred. You took care of me, and I’ll watch out for you. You’re the definition of pack. And don’t ever think you’re alone, I’m always going to be there.” Todd had closed the distance and was resting his hands on Dirk’s waist. Dirk was frozen. He inhaled sharply and wriggled his hips slightly, realizing that he was trapped between Todd and the counter.

“You, you are very close.” Dirk’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Todd asked, moving back slightly.

“Yes, no, maybe, I don’t know. It’s just that I have certain inclinations, relationally speaking, that I had assumed had been unnoticed. And it’s just. I had thought that you, or rather, that I wasn’t really–” Todd silenced Dirk, bringing their lips together in what Todd would herald as the best first kiss he had ever experienced.

Every molecule in Todd’s body clicked into place. This was where he was supposed to be. No matter what else happened, as long as Dirk was there he would be fine. Dirk leaned down into the kiss, grabbing the back of Todd’s head and pulling him in tighter. They had to break apart for air, and at that moment Dirk gave a soft laugh.

“Well, that’s quite something,” Dirk whispered. Todd laughed and wrapped his arms around Dirk’s back, resting his head on Dirk's chest, listening to the thumping of his heart.

“I just wanted you to know that I had noticed, and I feel the same way,” Todd spoke the words softly into Dirk’s shirt.

“I can’t articulate how marvelous that makes me feel.” They stayed like that another moment. “We should probably get going. Farah has probably already called Amanda at this point.” Dirk said, slowly pushing himself away.

“Oh crap, you’re right. I’ll get the dishes you get everything else.” Todd raced through the dishes and met Dirk outside ten minutes later. They piled into the car, Todd taking the wheel, not wanting to die in a fiery car crash at the hands of Dirk.

Dirk relaxed in the passenger seat the whole drive, lazily looking out the window as the country passed them by. Todd wasn’t sure when it happened, but at some point Dirk had placed his hand behind Todd’s head, slowly stroking circles into Todd’s scalp. Todd leaned into the movement and heard Dirk snort.

“I knew you liked the petting.” Todd was going to argue, but what could he say? He let out a soft sigh and continued driving.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world.” Dirk laughed, continuing to trace small circles into Todd’s hair.


	3. Epilogue

**12 Months After**

Todd didn’t want to celebrate. He just wanted to go for a run and sleep until noon. It had been a year since being turned, and he just wasn’t feeling the anniversary, mainly since he no longer shifted on the full moon, he shifted when he wanted to.

Dirk wasn’t too far off, crouched low behind a filing cabinet and trying to pick a lock.

“I’m just saying. We should celebrate, do something special. Ooh, we could go up to the cabin, bring the others, have a barbeque or something. That’s not overly celebratory, that’s just a good time.” Todd rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath, they were still fine.

“You’ve already planned something.” Todd could hear the skip in Dirk’s heartbeat.

“Well, I mean, to say that I planned anything would entail that I had some forethought into what you would find enjoyable, and clearly–”

“Dirk, it’s fine. We’ll do your thing. I’m sure it’ll be great.” People were approaching, and Todd was getting antsy.

“Fantastic! Also, I’ve gotten the drawer open. It seems to be a portal to a subdimension.” Todd glanced towards the drawer.

“Of course it is,” Todd grumbled. Dirk was fiddling with a bag in his hand and was quickly dumping the contents into the drawer.

“No matter, this will take care of it.” A loud screeching could be heard throughout the building.

“It might also alert the bad guys to our presence. Time to go!” Dirk added as he popped up. He ran to the door and raced into the darkness of the early morning, Todd close behind.

Todd took a moment to breathe in the air, letting the smells dance around him. No matter what they were doing, Dirk was always there, and something told Todd that he always would. They made it to the car and jumped in, Dirk peeling out of the lot before Todd even had his seatbelt on.

“I think you’re going to enjoy yourself. It’ll be a lot of fun, and everyone will be there. Or at least, Farah, I, Amanda, and the Rowdy3 will be there. It will be fun, I promise.” Todd laughed, pressing his forehead to the window.

“I believe you. I’ve already agreed to do whatever it is you have planned.” Todd could feel the victory smirk without looking.

“Wonderful, because we’re actually heading up there now, I’ve already packed you an overnight bag.” Todd laughed again and threw him a sideways glance.

“You’re perfect you know that?” Dirk blushed, his face and ears going bright red.

“You’ve mentioned it once or twice.” Todd leaned over resting his head on Dirk’s shoulder as he drove them out of the city.

“I’m gonna keep mentioning it until there isn’t a doubt in the world,” Todd said, feeling his eyes begin to shut. He had not realized how tired he was.

“I love you,” Dirk said it first. Todd had not wanted to rush Dirk through the relationship, so he had been patiently waiting for Dirk to say the “L” word. Of course, Todd felt the same way, how could he not, Dirk was his. Todd could hear the worry in Dirk’s voice at saying those three little words, smell the anxiety spike. Todd nestled closer and gave a soft sigh.

“I love you too.” He said. He could feel Dirk relax and that’s how they stayed for the rest of the drive. Todd thought to himself, as the sun rose over the mountains, that he might be the happiest he’s ever been in those moments. Even with all the weird and the strange and the crazy, he had Dirk, and that’s all that mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a bonus chapter loaded probably tomorrow with some scenes I wrote but didn't include in the overall piece. Hope you all like it!


	4. Bonus Content

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are two scenes I wrote but didn't include in the main story. I hope you enjoy!

**The Death of Todd Brotzman**

They had separated about an hour earlier, each trying one of the different addresses listed as possible hideout locations for their perp. Farah had just called in and said her place was clear and Todd had told her to meet up Dirk because he was fairly certain his place was also clear as he moved slowly through the abandoned apartment.

It looked like no one had been to the apartment in some time. A stack of newspapers had been accumulating at the front door, and the inside of the apartment was mostly bare except for a few pieces of trash here and there. None of the lights worked, and Todd had already searched through the one bedroom for any sign of recent activity. Todd was headed back towards the front door after hanging up with Farah when he heard a soft shuffle. Todd turned just in time to be pushed hard to the ground. He heard a snapping sound as his phone shattered in his pocket.

_Great, can't call for help,_ he thought as he stumbled up and charged after the man. Todd raced down onto the street and looked in both directions. He couldn't have been that far behind the man but it was dark, the moon just rising over the trees of the park across the road. He saw a flash of movement down the road near a darkened alley.

"Perfect," Todd grumbled to himself as he ran after the man, moving slowly into the alley. Even in the dark Todd could see the massive dark shape moving towards the end of the alley.

"Hey! Look, I just want to talk. This doesn't need to go sideways!" Todd shouted, hoping that the man wasn't carrying a gun. From the information they had been able to find on him, he wasn't a fan of firearms and preferred stealth to confrontation.

A low growl emanated from the end of the alley, and Todd stopped cold in his tracks. He had never considered that the person – the thing – he had just chased into an alley might not actually be the cat-burglar he was looking for; this was Seattle after all. The woods pushed right up to the city, and it wasn't unheard of to see a cougar roaming the streets.

Todd slowly started to back down the alley, still able to see the dark shape moving. It was a moment too late that Todd realized it was moving towards him. Two glowing spots of light appeared in the darkness and Todd had the chance to think that the lights looked strangely like eyes just before his world exploded.

The creature lunged forward and pinned Todd to the ground, his head cracking hard against the concrete and immediately causing stars to dot his vision. Razor sharp teeth were in his face, a growl filling his ears.

_This is it,_ he thought to himself, bracing for the death he assumed was coming. Instead, the creature howled and buried its teeth in Todd's shoulder. Pain crowded out Todd's thoughts as he screamed, his body going on autopilot as he shoved at the creature. The creature released him and raced into the night, disappearing with a howl into the woods.

Todd couldn’t do anything for a moment. The pain in his shoulder was blinding, and he could vaguely hear himself crying out. But more than that Todd could feel a burning in the wound, like acid racing through his veins. He was about to have a pararibulitis attack, and he knew if he didn’t get somewhere that someone would find him, he would most likely die from shock. Todd tried to stand, making it to his knees before he collapsed onto his side. The burning tore through his limbs and buried deep in his bones.

Another scream ripped from his lips as he curled in on himself, balling his hands into first and pushing against the ground. This was by far the worst way to die he decided as he slowly faded in and out of consciousness.

He tried to open his eyes, the pain causing tears to well in his eyes but enough to see his hands. He let out a panicked cry as his hands, or what used to be his hands, came into focus. Dark paws clawed at the concrete as the rest of his body snapped into its new shape. He screamed again, this time a howl tearing from his throat.

Whatever was happening, it had to be part of the attack, he reasoned. An amazingly realistic, bizarre pararibulitis attack, but the more it went on, the more Todd realized that probably wasn’t the truth.

He felt himself fading as he slowly rose. The light from the moon had just broken the top of the tree as Todd Brotzman faded from existence entirely.

 

He was cold when he woke. He blinked open his eyes and was greeted by the bottom of evergreen trees. It still looked like it was nighttime but there was a soft blue glow to the trees, suggesting that dawn wasn't too far off. He struggled to remember what had happened, how he had made it to the woods? He tried to move his arm and felt the phantom pain from where he had been bitten the night before.

Bitten.

He tried to sit up and failed, his bones aching and pushing him back to the ground.

Had what happened truly happened? Had he turned into a-

He couldn’t even think the word. It wasn’t possible. He probably had gotten blackout drunk and just, walked into the woods, and passed out. Or he had had a pararibulitis attack and had tried to get away from the prying eyes of the public. That sounded reasonable he thought as he pushed himself up onto his knees. It was at that point he realized he was completely naked. Todd groaned as both of his theories began to hold less and less water.

Todd glanced around and realized he recognized these woods. There was a small park near the Ridgely where he ran, and he was pretty sure that’s where he was. Moving carefully he headed back towards his apartment.

The universe was feeling kind that morning. Todd didn’t encounter anyone. Not walking through the wooded area, not while he skirted the park, in fact, he made it all the way to his window before he spotted anyone. A light was on in his apartment, and Todd could just make out the yellow jacket on the couch.

_Shit, Dirk._ As quietly as he could, Todd slid open the window and dropped to the floor. There was some movement from the couch but not enough to show that Dirk had woken. Once inside the apartment Todd quietly moved over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, watching Dirk sleep all the while. The smells in the apartment were quickly becoming too much, especially Dirk’s smell, it smelled sweet and warm, but also a little salty. Todd looked closer as he passed towards the bathroom and saw that Dirk’s eyes were red and puffy. Had he been crying?

Todd hurried to the bathroom. Locking himself in and letting himself sink against the door. The panic rose in Todd’s chest, and for a moment he thought he might have an attack, but one never came. He just sat on the floor, trying and failing not to hyperventilate.

What was he going to do?

He couldn’t stay like this. Hiding in the bathroom, praying that dawn never came, but he couldn’t move either. His life as he knew it was over, the fact that he could hear Dirk’s beating heart proof of that.

He took a steadying breath. He had to get up. He needed to shower, and he needed to let Dirk know he wasn’t dead. Todd got in the shower and listened as Dirk’s heartbeat remained steady. After about ten minutes he hopped out and changed into the clean clothes, heading slowly back out into the main area of the apartment. Todd glanced at the small clock near his bed and saw that it read five AM. He sighed and instantly regretted it as Dirk jerked awake.

“Todd?” His voice was hoarse with sleep. Dirk’s eyes scanned the room and landed on Todd, a smile cracking his lips.

“Todd! You’re okay!" Todd wasn't prepared for the hug. Dirk had jumped from the couch and tackled him backward, both of them falling with a loud thump into the chair near the couch. Todd took a deep breath trying to regain the air he had just lost, and Dirk's smell overwhelmed his senses. He smelled like sunshine and tea and–

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Dirk quickly untangled himself leaving Todd feeling empty at the loss of the smell.

"I, uh, yeah, I'm sorry, if you were worried. I just, got lost, in the woods. And my phone was broken."

_Lies, lying liar._ Todd thought to himself. Not that he had been planning on telling Dirk what had happened but it still hurt to lie to him. He had waited up for him; he had been worried about him, if Dirk's red-rimmed eyes were to be believed, he might have even been crying for him.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. Better than okay! You're here. Of course, you're here. This is your apartment. And I was here because I was waiting for you, to come back. To debrief the case of course." Dirk had started to ramble as Todd stood from the chair and tried to breathe through his mouth so that he couldn't smell Dirk. There was an odd smell that Todd couldn't place, but it made him anxious, and he found he was having a hard time making eye contact with Dirk.

"Well, thank you for waiting up. Um, if it's all the same with you, I think I'm gonna try to get a couple of hours of sleep. We can debrief the case over breakfast maybe?" Dirk was nodding, his usual smile plastered on his face.

"Perfect! I'll let Farah know, and we can meet here and then go out to the diner just around the block. I'll leave you be." Dirk said as he moved towards the door. Todd found himself following Dirk, his smell dragging him forward.

"Sounds great," Todd said as Dirk turned around to face him in the hall. Todd had a moment where he wanted to tell him, to get it all off his chest at that moment, but then fear took hold, and he pushed the thoughts down.

"Thank you again, for waiting up for me. I'm really sorry I worried you guys." Dirk waved his hand making a tsking noise.

"It wasn't any trouble. I'm glad you're okay. Get some rest, and I'll see you in a couple of hours." Dirk disappeared down the hall and headed back up towards his apartment. Todd closed the door, slowly sliding down to the floor and resting his head against the cold wood.

He knew he wasn't going to be able to rest. He was too stressed to get proper rest. For a moment he thought about how the universe must think that doing this to him must have been funny, making him a freak among the freaks. He felt the panic he had pushed down rise back up into his throat, and he let himself cry, silent sobs racking through his body.

_Everything is connected,_ his brain supplied as the sobs subsided. He groaned and made his way slowly over to the couch. He collapsed down and buried his face into the pillow Dirk had been laying on. Despite everything that had happened, there was a small part of him that relaxed into the smell of sunshine and tea and warmth.

He closed his eyes, sleep taking hold of him till the knock at his door woke him hours later, the promise of breakfast only a short distance to the diner.

* * *

 

**Night of the Super-Moon**

The wolf walked next to Dirk as they ventured out into the night air, the wolf’s shoulder fur brushing against Dirk’s side. Dirk glanced over and wondered how much of Todd there was in the wolf. He seemed to understand what Dirk said, but for the most part, the wolf appeared to be its own entity. Dirk carefully pulled his hand free of his jacket and reached out. The wolf noticed the movement but didn’t react, letting Dirk rest his hand on its back as they walked through the field.

“I’m sure you’ve never really thought about this, but your fur is so soft, like wonderfully soft. I’ll have to tell you that again in the morning.” The wolf snorted and came to a stop. Dirk could just make out a pile of clothes and a cell phone laying in the grass.

“Oh! I’ll get these. We can take them back with us, and you can have them for tomorrow!” Dirk scooped up the clothes and held them under the arm that wasn’t holding onto the wolf. The wolf glanced up and watched the moon as it slowly made its way across the sky. Dirk looked up as well, pulling his eyes from the wolf to see the moon, the reason he had walked them out to the field in the first place.

“It’s lovely isn’t it?” Dirk said, his voice quiet in the darkness. “You know, when I was little, I heard stories about the monsters and the creatures that go bump in the night. I used to love hearing stories about vampires, and werewolves, and will-o-the-wisps, and faeries and the sort, you know how children are. But never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d actually meet a werewolf. And here you are! A proper werewolf.” He looked back down at the wolf who was watching him with glowing blue eyes.

“I guess, it’s just nice to know that I’m not the only strange thing out there. I mean sure there are the other Blackwing subjects and whatever Amanda is, but, I don’t know. It’s nice to know the fairytales are true I guess.” The wolf snorted, carefully moving its nose to Dirk’s cheek. IT took a couple of sniffs and pushed its head into Dirk’s chest again.

“What did I do this time?” Dirk said, laughing as the wolf pushed him back towards the cabin. Dirk turned and fell into step next to the wolf who was now leaning into his side.

“You really want those steaks don’t you?” Dirk said. The wolf snorted and pushed against him, making Dirk stumble forward. The wolf turned its head and caught Dirk before he hit the ground, whines of what Dirk assumed were an apology came from the wolf's mouth.

“It’s fine. Thank you for the catch.” Dirk stroked the wolf’s head, forgetting for a moment that it was Todd. The wolf let out a deep almost purr like sound and pushed into Dirk’s hand. He felt a heat rise in his cheeks, causing a slight bite against his numb skin. “Alright, come on, let’s get inside and get warmed up.” Dirk pulled his hand away quickly and headed up the steps, opening the door. Dirk removed his extra layers and had even gotten the fire going before he realized that the wolf was still out on the porch. Dirk turned and saw it sitting in the doorway, an odd look on its face.

“What’s wrong?” Dirk asked, walking towards the door. The wolf whined and looked inside cautiously.

“It’s okay, you can come inside. That was the whole point of the cabin.” The wolf looked up but slowly inched in through the door, looking around and carefully smelling each surface. Dirk headed to the small closet off the kitchen where he had Farah install a washer and dryer unit. It had taken much convincing, and ultimately Dirk was fairly certain that Farah thought Dirk just wanted a cabin in the woods, but she hadn’t said no. Dirk tossed the clothes into the wash and started it up, turning to see that the wolf had followed him and was sitting carefully in the kitchen.

“Just washing the clothes. It’ll be nice for you tomorrow, I suppose. Don’t you?” The wolf snorted and headed back out into the living room. Dirk followed and watched as the wolf sniffed at the couch before jumping up and settling down onto the cushions.

“Oh, wait there!” Dirk disappeared into the larger of the two bedrooms and grabbed a few of the knit throws he had brought up the last time he had come to look at the cabin.

“Here we go. For later if you get cold or something. I can’t imagine you’ll get cold, but you know, you, the other you, might. So, for later.” Dirk rambled as he draped the blankets over the back of the couch, the wolf’s head turned to watch him the entire time. Dirk stepped back and smiled.

“I’m going to turn on some music if that’s alright. I’m worried I might talk your ear off if there isn’t something to distract me, you know?” Dirk pulled his phone out and opened up the music app. He tried to find a song that Todd might like, but he hadn’t downloaded any of the classic rock musicians Todd had been suggesting to him. He settled for flipping Little Mix on shuffle and watched as the wolf seemed to roll its eyes as the first song started up.

“Sorry, I forgot to get those musicians you like. I’ve meant to, but, I’ve been doing other things. I’ve been watching werewolf movies quite a bit. I wanted to learn as much as I could before coming up here. None of them really said that I would be expecting an actual, proper wolf but, I can adapt.” He took a seat in the chair next to the couch, and the wolf rested it’s head on the armrest, the light of the fire sending golden light dancing through its eyes. Dirk wrapped the throw he had kept around his legs and smiled.

“To be fair, most of the movies indicated that I would be dealing with a terrifying nightmare monster, but this is nice. You’re practically domesticated in comparison.” The wolf snorted but didn’t move, continuing to watch Dirk.

“I spoke to Farah, about my hunch. She didn’t believe me. I even tried to lay out the evidence like a proper detective, but she just shrugged it off. She thinks you’ve been doing drugs and you’re just too ashamed to tell us. I also spoke with Amanda,” the wolf’s ears perked up.

“Not to worry, your sister didn’t tell me anything. She just said that you were dealing with something and that you would tell us when you’re ready. She loves you, you know. I mean for a while she was very cross with you, but you two have worked past it. I bet she was thrilled when you told her. This seems like her cup of tea.” The wolf flicked its ears and looked toward the cooler. Dirk smiled and dragged the box in front of him.

“Can you eat these without getting them on the couch?” The wolf groaned but stood, stepping to the floor and sitting patiently in front of Dirk.

“I found the room,” Dirk said, handing the wolf another piece. “I know we never use it but imagine my surprise when I opened the door a couple of months back, and there was fresh plaster on the walls. I also noticed the soundproofing. Did you actually spend every full moon in that room?” The wolf wasn’t listening, focusing more on the steak in the cooler.

“I bet you never left yourself anything to eat or drink. That couldn’t have been good. You know, I almost came in last month. We had just solved that purse snatching, and Farah and I had gone out for the night, we ran into Amanda, and Farah asked about all of the dentist appointments you have. Amanda just laughed but played right along. Saying that your teeth must be in fantastic health if you go every month. I was rather drunk by that point, so I slipped away, and back to the office. I sat outside, not sure if going in would spook you, but I did. I sat there for a couple of hours, and I watched the moon go down and then I waited some more. Do you remember? We both “came in early” that day. You just hadn’t ever left. I should have just told you then. But I had gotten this idea, while I was waiting outside, that that tiny little room just wasn’t any good you know? And that maybe if we could have a bigger space you would feel more comfortable. Oh, wait, leave a couple for tomorrow.” The wolf looked up from the cooler and snorted. Dirk flipped the lid closed and pushed it away with his foot. The wolf whined and rested its head in Dirk’s lap.

For a moment Dirk wasn’t sure what to do. He had had pets before, and part of him said to pet the wolf. The other part, the rational thinking part reminded him that this was Todd, would that be okay for him to pet him? The wolf answered his question by forcing its muzzle underneath Dirk’s hand.

“Okay, okay, sorry. I’ll pet you. Very pushy, you are.” Dirk stroked the fur on the top of the wolf’s head and carefully scratched behind the ears. The wolf leaned into the motion, and let out another purr type noise.

“You know, you’ll probably find this very silly in the morning. Letting me pet you.” Dirk said, smiling as the wolf continued to nuzzle into his hand.

“Can you remember? Do you remember what happens when you shift or is it all just a big blank? Like, this doesn’t really seem like you, but, I wonder if you can remember.” Dirk said, stroking small circles into the wolf’s neck. The song switched, and Dirk smiled.

“Oh, I love this one. I know you hate it, but it’s just so catchy!” Dirk started humming along as he continued to pet the wolf. He glanced down and realized that the wolf had closed its eyes, deeper breaths indicating it had fallen asleep.

“Hey,” Dirk whispered. The wolf blinked awake and looked up at him.

“Come on, let’s get you back to the couch.” The wolf gave a soft protest but stood all the same. It jumped up onto the couch and laid down, resting its head on its front paws. Dirk draped the blankets over the wolf and watched as it snuggled into them.

“I’m gonna just be right here, no need to worry. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Dirk sat back down and watched as the wolf drifted back to sleep, deep breaths causing the blankets to rise and fall. Dirk waited until he was sure the wolf was asleep before he went to change the wash to the dryer. He grabbed himself another blanket and a pillow and curled into the chair.

Dirk wasn’t sure what was going to happen the next morning, but he knew that Todd would wake up, and for the first time, he wasn’t going to be alone in that room. Dirk’s eyes drifted shut while he watched the wolf sleep. The next time he opened his eyes, he was looking at a sleeping Todd, who was resting comfortably under the blankets, a soft smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked the first chapter! The next will be up tomorrow!


End file.
